This document is a submission made in 2017 by the APS to the Western Australian Parliamentary Inquiry into the need for laws to allow citizens to make informed decisions regarding their own end of life choices.
While the APS neither opposes nor endorses voluntary termination of life, changes to legislation are likely to impact on the work of psychologists, particularly if there is provision for psychologists to undertake mental health and/or decision making capacity assessments. Also of concern to the APS is the impact of legislative change on the health and wellbeing of people in later life, their friends and family, and the broader community.
In this submission, the APS endorses a best practice approach to end of life care, requiring that the patient fully understands their alternatives and the main ramifications of his/her decision to access assisted dying services should they become legal. Ultimately, the APS emphasises the importance of a process that is characterised by care, compassion and considered decision-making over time. The APS envisages that such a process would include access to the full range of care options, from the highest quality palliative care and the most competent psychological assessment and psychosocial support.
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